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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: June 19, 2012 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. - a <br />SUBJECT. Orange County Ag Tourism Farms Special Presentation <br />DEPARTMENT: Economic Development & PUBLIC HEARING: (Y /N) No <br />Cooperative Extension <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Farm Profiles <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Noah Ranells, Economic Development, <br />245 -2330 <br />Mike Lanier, Cooperative Extension, <br />245 -2063 <br />Steve Brantley, Economic Development, <br />245 -2325 <br />Carl Matyac, Cooperative Extension, <br />245 -2050 <br />Laurie Paolicelli, Economic <br />Development, 968 -2000 <br />PURPOSE: To recognize Orange County farmers that were featured in the March -April 2012 <br />Chapel Hill Magazine as part of an Orange County ag tourism promotion and present each of <br />the farms with a framed farm profile. <br />BACKGROUND: During the past ten years, the BOCC has placed a renewed priority on <br />expanding opportunities for farmers and other farm to fork businesses. Interdepartmental <br />collaboration between Orange County Economic Development and Cooperative Extension has <br />resulted in the establishment of the PLANT @ Breeze Farm Enterprise Incubator in 2008 and <br />the Piedmont Food & Ag Processing Center in 2011. These two entrepreneurial programs were <br />milestones for the Orange County agricultural economic development program. <br />Ag tourism is also a strong component for some farms in Orange County and offers the <br />opportunity for farm diversification that affords economic resilience to ag enterprises. Early in <br />2012, a team of agricultural and farm related departments, including Cooperative Extension, <br />Economic Development, and Environment, Agriculture, and Parks & Recreation, worked closely <br />with the Chapel Hill / Orange County Visitors Bureau to develop an ag tourism marketing insert <br />for the Chapel Hill Magazine. Five farms were chosen for this media feature: Captain John S. <br />Pope Farm, Chapel Hill Creamery, McAdams Farm, Parker Farm & Vineyard, and Walters <br />Unlimited. <br />Four of the named farms were also participants in the recent Farm to Fork Picnic as well as the <br />April 2012 Piedmont Farm Tour. Both events were highly successful with the picnic raising <br />